ADHD in the News 2020-02-13

Can ADHD Medication Prevent Suicide?

A study of 146 million U.S. citizens provides critical risk prevention data...Looking from individual to individual, the risk of a suicide attempt was 39 percent lower when people with ADHD were taking medications than when they were not. These differences were similar for men and women.

Lack of vitamin D during pregnancy increases children’s risk of ADHD

Studies have shown how deficient levels of vitamin D could lead to kids experiencing anything from stunted development to high blood pressure. Now, researchers from the University of Turku have found that vitamin D could also play a role in the development of ADHD.

Adolescents with a history of ADHD at increased risk for many adverse outcomes

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) wanted to better understand how primary care doctors addressed these risks with patients as they transitioned from childhood to young adulthood. They found that although doctors generally discuss depression, substance abuse, and suicide risk with patients who have a history of ADHD, they rarely discuss safe driving with them and most of the time they do not monitor patients for risky sexual behavior.

Food Dyes and ADHD

An enduring controversy in the ADHD world is the role of diet and, in particular, synthetic food dyes. This issue has come to the forefront again recently because the State of California is reviewing the data and considering requiring labels on foods like Great Britain did previously.

Motivation Deficits May Drive ADHDers’ Excessive Internet Use

What’s especially interesting about this study is that it addresses three different questions: Are people with ADHD at higher risk for excessive internet use? If so, does ADHD cause that higher risk? If ADHD does cause that risk, what ADHD symptoms in particular are involved?

The Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD

In recent years, there has been a move to diagnose some kids with both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at the same time...Is double diagnosis an accurate approach? Does it reflect biology in these kids? Let’s look further into how this situation came about.

The Marketing of Stimulants for Children With A.D.H.D.

Children with ADHD more likely to receive medication if they live in poorer areas

Previous research has shown that children in poorer areas are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. This new research in BJPsych Open, published on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, is the first UK study to show an association between deprivation and the likelihood of receiving medication for ADHD.

Feeling Mentally Blah? 10 Ways to Give Yourself a Boost

The ADHD brain tends to be chronically understimulated due to low levels of neurotransmitters critical for task initiation and focus, specifically dopamine and norepinephrine. A lack of external stimulation or interest can cause ADHD-related symptoms to spike whereas an increase in stimulation actually has the opposite effect.

The Best Valentine’s Day Gift You Can Give If You Have ADHD

What’s the best gift you can give your partner if you have ADHD? The gift of attention! I’m going to give you some ideas below, but please let me briefly say why it’s such a great gift first. Since the number one symptom of adult ADHD is distractibility, it’s quite likely your partner doesn’t get as much positive, affectionate, or helpful attention as s/he would like. In fact, sometimes they get virtually no attention.